2998 Alpha Hand Length

A 2998-1 with the rare BASE1000 bezel, pretty much correct except for the incorrect, short hands. The minute hand falls noticeably short of the minute track. In this case I believe they are modern service replacements for a seamaster.

The point is that many 2998’s have found themselves with short alphas – either as service replacements, or from old Seamasters of the period. Spotting this is simple once you know how.

There seems to be some variation in where the tip of the minute hand hands, and this small apparent variation in correct hands may be down to dial marker length – however the seamaster hands when fitted are noticeably short, as seen above, falling well short of the minute track.

These alpha hands came in two executions, shown below. The correct 2998 hands are the first and last pair. I do not know in what time the two types were fitted, I observe both types on all sub references, at all production times. While either the triangle lume or the straight lume are correct, I value the triangle lume more.

Alpha hands. Only two pairs here are correct for a 2998 – the pair at each end. The second pair, with square ended thin lume, are service replacements for a seamaster. The third pair are from a 2915-3. The type I most like to see on a watch is the far right set with the triangle lume on the hour.

The Alpha hands can be a problem. Originals are often replaced by service replacements, and these have narrow, square ended lume inserts, or Seamaster hands where the minute hand is too short and fails to meet or cross the minute track of the dial. If the hour hand is triangular, the matching minute hand has square ended lume, is in the far right set above.